Is The Last Jedi Suitable for Young Kids? Here's What The Director Says

Rian Johnson, the director of The Last Jedi, has addressed a fan question about whether his Star Wars film is suitable for younger viewers.

In terms of whether Johnson’s Star Wars installment will be appropriate for all viewers, a fan asked podcast host David Chen if he thinks The Last Jedi will be a suitable movie experience for his 7-year-old.

"I have always known and been well aware of (creator George) Lucas' vision and constant maintaining that these are kids' films," wrote Nathan, who asked that his last name not be used. "But with the war themes, mass murder and genocide with the basic concept of the Death Star, I see material that is highly inappropriate for most children."

Chen, not wanting to answer this on his own, forwarded the query to Johnson via Twitter, and the director replied. Read Johnson’s reply below:

“It really depends on the 7 year old. There are intense things in the movie, but I don't think anything worse than in the OT or prequels.”

The concern for whether or not Star Wars: The Last Jedi is going to be ok for kids seems very valid, as the film's contents have been teased to be challenging and somewhat dark. Luke is in a very dark and isolated place, the Resistance is in shambles, and even Finn is doubting whether or not he wants to continue fighting against the forces of darkness. But while this may seem like the film is darker than the previous entries, Rian Johnson has assessed just the opposite. It is no worse than the prequels or original trilogy, which should be a relief to Star Wars parents who want to share the next film with their kids.

While "The Last Jedi" hasn't been officially rated yet, its predecessor, "The Force Awakens," was rated PG-13 "for sci-fi action violence," and the Internet Movie Database expects "Last Jedi" to follow suit, noting that the film could be darker than the acclaimed but serious "The Empire Strikes Back" from the 1980s.